


Just Another Night

by GutterBall



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Chuck Hansen Needs a Hug, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Raleigh is awkward but means well, beer and pizza and movies, cuddles and snuggling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 05:11:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11799096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GutterBall/pseuds/GutterBall
Summary: Chuck has disappeared, but Raleigh had plans for the afternoon. Unfortunately, no one will tell him why Chuck is mysteriously absent until Tendo takes him aside and explains that it's Chuck's birthday and the kid just wants to be alone.Though he understands, he's also been trying to be a better friend these days, so he decides that it's only Chuck's birthday until midnight. After that, all's fair. Especially when it includes pizza and beer and a bad movie.





	Just Another Night

**Author's Note:**

> It's Chuck's birthday today -- August 14 -- so I thought maybe I could talk my brain into cranking something out to acknowledge the fact. Hopefully a little snark and some cuddles does the trick. Enjoy!

"Have you seen Chuck?"

If Raleigh didn't know better, he'd swear Herc Hansen just flinched. Sure, the Hansens didn't have the best relationship, but they were getting better, and it's not like he was asking something personal or painful.

He didn't think.

"Uh. Can't say I have, Raleigh." Those were shifty eyes. "Did you check the kwoon?"

Mystified, he nodded. "Yeah, and the caf and his bunk. Even checked the jaeger bay. No one's seen him." Tilting his head slightly, he narrowed his eyes. "That seems odd to me."

After all, someone as... boisterous... as Chuck tended to leave a wake of destruction and pointing fingers behind him everywhere he went. And if he wasn't in the kwoon, the caf, his bunk, or the jaeger bay....

But Herc just shrugged, which was perhaps the strangest possible response to discovering that his son was nowhere to be found. "He'll show up. Maybe he headed over to the mainland. For some fresh air. Just to get out, yeah?"

Aaaannnnd that was fidgeting. Something was definitely wrong.

Raleigh couldn't help but come to the conclusion that Herc was a terrible liar.

But he clearly wasn't making any headway, so he reluctantly nodded, eyes still narrow. "Uh-huh."

The poor marshal looked miserable. He also shifted as uncomfortably as if his boxers were suddenly made of fire ants. So, Raleigh took pity on him and backed off entirely.

"I guess I'll just see him later, then." He forced a smirk. "Probably for the best. Our track record for getting along versus getting in a fight is only about fifty/fifty these days."

Since that was sadly true, Herc huffed an enormously relieved chuckle and made his escape with an awkward wave. Raleigh watched him go, perplexed and wondering if hunting Chuck down was worth the effort of interrogating yet more people who would probably just lie to him.

"Raleigh?"

Still debating, he barely nodded at Tendo as his old friend strode in close.

"Hey, brother, can I ask you a favor?"

Tendo's tone was unusually subdued, so Raleigh shook off his distraction and tried to pay attention. "Sure thing. Shoot."

Swallowing hard, Tendo looked up and down the hall, then leaned in close. "Could you maybe... lay off asking about Chuck today?"

He drew back, too surprised to hide it. Unfortunately, that just made the poor guy look more nervous.

"Look, we've been friends a long time. You trust me, right?"

Wide-eyed and blinking, he shrugged. "Yeah, but--"

"So please. Just for today, okay?"

Tendo looked so earnest. And his old friend would never ask him for anything unless it was important. But...?

"Tendo, what's really going on?"

Sighing heavily, the poor guy eyed him for a frankly insultingly long moment, then nodded and looked away. "You didn't hear it from me, okay?"

"Okay."

"And I'm only telling you because you may look like a puppy but you're a goddamn rat terrier when you put your mind to something."

He couldn't help it. He smirked.

Thankfully, Tendo did, too, and seemed to feel a little better about what he was about to say. "Today is Chuck's birthday."

Raleigh's eyebrows shot up.

"He hasn't celebrated since his mother died. Not even the year Herc got Max for him."

Well, shit. That... explained a lot.

Sighing, he slumped.

Tendo nodded. "He doesn't want anyone around and doesn't want any reminders. Always finds some place to sequester himself where nobody can find him. And we all... let him. Because he deserves a chance to be alone if he wants to."

He couldn't even argue. He tended to go off by himself on Yancy's birthday, too, and he'd all but forgotten he even had one of his own.

So he nodded and reached out to clasp his old friend on the shoulder. Tendo smiled, though it wasn't a happy expression, then went on about his business. Raleigh watched him go, wondering what to do now that his plans for the afternoon had fallen through.

Not that he'd planned much. Just a beer and pizza movie night, since Chuck had mentioned a while back that he'd never had one of those.

Then again... maybe they still could. He could fiddly-fart around in the shatterdome for a few hours until it wasn't Chuck's birthday anymore, then see if the big jerk wanted company.

And he wouldn't mention the B word. Not even once.

He was trying to be a better friend these days. Even if the brat usually just tried his patience.

He was _trying._

\--

It took help from Mako -- to her credit, she did give him the side-eye when he laid out his plan until he swore on Gipsy's name that he wouldn't bring up the B word -- but he managed to be sitting on Chuck's stoop at 11:55 PM with a bucket of iced-down beer and two steaming pizza boxes. He hoped the kid wouldn't stay out too late.

Frankly, the pizza smelled so good he was tempted to sneak a slice while he waited. It had been probably six years since he'd had it last, and his stomach had been growling for a solid hour. Dammit, but his early supper had worn off after a heavy session with Mako in the kwoon, and he hadn't wanted to ruin his appetite with a snack.

Thus, he was in acute torment ten minutes later, his resolve stretched to the breaking point, when he finally heard impatient, loud footsteps echoing down the hall. Oh, thank God. He was fucking starving.

Unfortunately, when Chuck finally strode into sight, his already-cloudy expression darkened into a brooding thunderstorm. Nervous all of a sudden, Raleigh stood up and put his hands up, hoping he looked innocent.

"Beer and pizza movie night, remember?"

Angry eyes narrowed. "Why tonight?"

"No reason." He tried a smile. It didn't work. "Would've been by earlier, but I was reliably informed that you weren't up for company."

A muscle in the kid's clenched jaw jerked. "I'm not. Never have been a good listener, have you?"

His chin went up, but he forced himself to remain loose. He was not starting a fight in the hallway in the middle of the night. Not on Chuck's birthday.

Damn, but the kid was always such a pain in the ass. Too bad he was also funny as hell when he was in a good mood.

Ugh.

"I listen just fine. You didn't want company yesterday." Another attempt at a grin. He had no idea if it worked or not. "This is today."

Those changeable eyes rolled, but some of the thunder went out of Chuck's expression. "You are such a wanker."

This time, the grin happened without him making it. "Yeah, but a wanker with pizza and beer."

The kid snorted and headed toward him with decidedly less impending violence than before. "Shut up and open the door, wanker."

Rolling his eyes -- but very, very relieved -- he reached down to pick up his bounty. "Said as if I know your door code."

Another snort. "Said as if I locked my door."

He paused half-way up. "So I've been sitting on the stoop for no fucking reason?"

And that was an honest-to-God grin, which made the whole fiasco worth it. "Wouldn't say that, mate. Made for good drama, anyway."

Chuffed and not afraid to show it now, he smirked. "At least I'm good for something."

It was Chuck's turn to roll his eyes as he shoved his door open and led the way in. It took a bit of furniture wrangling, but soon enough, they had a passable table set up lengthwise beside Chuck's bed, the display set to project on the opposite wall, and an icy cold beer apiece cracked open. Without having to consult about it, they slumped down across Chuck's bed, the pizza boxes between them, the opening credits starting on the wall and lighting up the otherwise darkened room.

After snarfing down two slices of pepperoni with mushrooms and extra cheese, Chuck sighed and cracked open another brew. "Thanks for not asking, mate."

Unsure what he could safely say, Raleigh just nodded and offered the neck of his bottle. Chuck, for all that he could be a real prick, decided to oblige and clinked his bottle against it. The movie passed with a few laughs and a lot of eyerolling, even a few elbow jabs, and by the end, Chuck seemed to be in good spirits. Raleigh chalked it up as a win and decided not to push his luck by suggesting another flick.

As he started piling the empty pizza boxes together, though, Chuck cleared his throat and fiddled with his last almost-empty beer bottle. Fairly certain the kid had something to say but needed to work up to it, Raleigh took his time folding the boxes up to fit in the trash can and gathering up the empties to box up for recycling.

Thus, he was still arranging bottles in an old box when the big jerk finally broke.

"Ray?"

"Hm?" He didn't look up from his busy work, just in case.

"Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure, kid. Shoot."

Said kid cleared his throat again, then abruptly shoved forward to sit on the edge of the bed. "You can absolutely say no. I won't be mad, yeah?"

Enough fiddling about. Straightening and giving Chuck his full attention, he nodded.

"Could you maybe... sleep here? Tonight?"

His eyebrows shot up. Of all the things he might have expected, that one wasn't even on the list. He and Chuck were nowhere near buddy enough for that yet, though they did spend more time together than their start had suggested possible.

"I... uh...." Fidgeting, the poor kid picked at the label on his bottle. "Don't wanna be alone tonight, mate."

Oh.

Huh.

Maybe Chuck hadn't really wanted to be alone on his birthday all those years, no matter what he'd said. Or maybe he'd just been afraid everyone would make a big deal despite his wishes and remind him of things he didn't want to think about. Or maybe Raleigh treating it like just another night had put him at ease enough to not want the usual seclusion.

Either way, there was only one way to answer.

"Uh... okay, Chuck. I can do that."

Jesus, the kid looked way too relieved. "Thanks, Ray. You're... you're a good bloke."

Well, he _had_ been trying, but he hadn't been sure if he was at all succeeding. Maybe... he was doing all right, after all.

Grinning a bit, he scruffed a hand through his hair. "Should I go get some pajamas, or--"

"You can wear mine." It was all hurried, like Chuck was afraid he'd leave and not come back. "I swear I do have spares, no matter what you think."

He smirked, remembering the last pushy-pushy-not-quite-fight had been over his assertion that Chuck only had the one set of clothes that he just wore all the time without bothering to wash them. It hadn't quite come to blows, but the shoving had been a bit harder than friendly.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

With a snort -- not quite enough to hide the vast relief all over that freckled face -- Chuck got up to dig around in his closet and drawers for the required sleepwear, tossing items back over his shoulder and fully expecting that Raleigh would catch them all. Which he did, of course.

"You want the shower first, mate?"

Eyeing the plain gray t-shirt for sweat stains, he shook his head distractedly. "You go ahead. I had one after me and Mako sparred earlier."

"Right then."

As soon as the kid disappeared into the bathroom, Raleigh shucked out of his clothes and pulled on Chuck's pajamas, finding them surprisingly soft and comfortable. They were a little loose on him, though. For all that Chuck was about the same height, the kid had a good ten or twenty pounds of muscle on him. Perks of having been in the PPDC the past five years instead of choking down rations, most likely.

Or the kid was just built like a brick shithouse. Either way.

Thus, he was comfortably sprawled on the mattress when Chuck slouched out of the steamy bathroom, hair damp and face flushed and clothes sticking to him here and there. He looked adorable and sleepy and relaxed, and Raleigh thought maybe he'd done the right thing after all.

Especially when the big dork climbed into bed and immediately curled up against him, even going so far as to wrap an arm around Raleigh's waist. Surprised, Raleigh lay very still, not sure what was expected of him.

"Chuck?"

"Shh."

One eyebrow rose of its own volition. "Are you always this cuddly?"

Shifting, the giant ginger jerk somehow managed to snuggle closer and lay his heavy, damp head on Raleigh's shoulder. "No." Shift, shift, grunt. "Just... tonight."

He sighed and gave into the obvious nudge, slipping an arm around the big kid's back and leaning his chin against damp ginger hair. "It's just another night, Chuck."

Quietly, so softly he almost missed it, Chuck made a low noise of protest. "No it isn't. And I don't want to be alone. Not this time."

Damn. When had they become close enough for that kind of admission? Murmured and damn near impossible to make out, but definitely an admission?

Didn't matter.

Tightening his arm and snuggling closer himself, Raleigh smiled in the dark. "I'm here."

The octopus curling itself around him nodded against his chin. "I'm glad."

For two guys who had made it through the end of the world, it was enough. So, smiling long after Chuck had turned into a slumpy weight half-over him, Raleigh stroked his hand up and down that broad, warm back and did what he could.

He stayed.

**THE END**


End file.
